Various kinds of filler elements for filling containers, including bottles, with liquid contents, for example drinks, are known. It is also known to provide, on a filler element, an element that determines the fill level of the contents in the filled container. This element, which is hereinafter called the “fill level-determining element”, can be in the form of a rod-shaped probe with at least one electric probe contact, or in the form of a gas-return pipe. It is also known to set the fill level reached in a particular container at the end of the filling process by axial adjustment of the fill level-determining element during filling with a first end extending into the container. The fill level-determining element is furthermore routed through the filler-element housing of the filler element and projects out of the filler-element housing by a length lying at a distance from the first end on a housing opening area.
To prevent the penetration of dirt and/or microorganisms into the process side of the filler element by means of the housing opening area, i.e. into areas of the filler element transporting the contents and/or process gas and/or vacuum, in particular when adjusting the fill level-determining element, it is known to provide a protective space in the filler element immediately after the opening area.
During the filling operation, this protective space is exposed, for example, to the pressure of an inert gas, separated from areas transporting process gas and/or contents by at least one seal and made such that it can accommodate, at least in the filling mode of the filler element, a length of the fill level-determining element on the housing side adjacent to the housing opening area, the length corresponding to the adjustment range of this element.
A disadvantage in this known filler element is that this protective space is formed by the internal space of a pipe that projects out of the filler-element housing above the dispensing opening, and that, on the lower end of this pipe enclosing the fill level-determining element, the sealing element separating the protective space from the process side is provided in the form of a solid ring seal. In the filling mode, the fill level-determining element is routed through the ring seal while the protective space is sealed. In a cleaning and/or sterilization mode, the fill level-determining element is moved back by its first end so far into the filling element housing that the protective space on the ring seal is open. Considerable disadvantages arise from this because the annular space enclosing the fill level-determining element is used as the protective space and is therefore not available as the gas space or gas channel for the medium to pass through, i.e. additional fluid paths may have to be provided in the filler element. Additionally, the ring seal separating the protective space from the process side is exposed to the risk of damage, for example the risk of damage from glass splinters from burst containers or bottles. In addition, during a CIP cleaning and/or sterilization in which the protective space and the fill level-determining element are likewise cleaned and/or sterilized, it is not possible to also concurrently clean and/or to sterilize a part of the fill level-determining element extending into the protective space during the filling operation because this will be outside the filler element at the time of the cleaning and/or sterilization.